Extending Learning with Ed-Tech in Higher Ed

Are we going to play that game again? You know, the one with that music.

Kahoot? Yes, what student of any age doesn’t love showing off their skills during a Kahoot review session. My college students ages 18-45ish have enjoyed using this tech tool to help review for the midterm exam and now the final exam. Students who most recently matriculated their way through high school are more familiar with the electronic this formative assessment tool than their wiser and more life-experienced peers. No matter the level of experience with the tool, my students enjoy using this tool in spite of their collegiate status. They were eager to play Kahoot again, as they recognized the helpful information they gleaned from the first experience and the positive impact it had on their midterm scores.

When teaching at the community college, I have hesitated to utilize ed-tech in ways that I have not in my high school classroom. At my high school, students have Chromebooks, use Google docs, and are familiar with several tech tools that are used throughout their courses. I feel confident in expecting students to have access to devices and versed in a wide variety of tools. College students do not always bring devices, although almost all have phones. Even if they bring a laptop or other device beyond their phones, they may not have used tools beyond word processing or office products. The backgrounds and experiences students have are vast, making planning lessons that are reliant on tech complicated.

Still, the benefits that come from utilizing technology into a higher education classroom are numerous. Differentiated instruction, enrichment activities, and review can all occur as often as necessary with the use of specific tools such as Kahoot, EdPuzzle, and Pear Deck to name of few. Teachers can create resources for students to be accessed during class or asynchronously. Through professional development workshops and meetings with colleagues at the college level, it seems that teachers are not as familiar with the variety of tech tools available to them. Instructors are familiar and use (to varying degrees) the online learning management system, but even the course design on that platform shows a great need for growth. Since many professors are adjuncts, working on dissertations, or researching, their focus seems to be more content-specific.

To support this cohort of colleagues and help in furthering the use of ed-tech in the college classroom, I have submitted and been asked to prepare a higher education tech tools presentation. What tools might instructors use to inspire the masses - especially the newer Gen Z student who expects supplemental resources and functions more independently than students of the past?

My first tech tool to tap into is a cell phone. Even at the college level, students attempt to sneak them on their desks or use them at every second of downtime in the classroom. Why not show them how to use their cell phones to review and research for academic purposes?

My favorite low-tech tech tools that can be used with minimal devices include:

1. Plickers (Students don’t even need a phone!)
2. Kahoot
3. Quizlet
4. Pear Deck

These tools sync nicely to any phone, which is not true of some apps and devices. Depending upon the students’ phone brand and model, connecting to the wireless internet at school can be slower, or the aesthetics on the phone itself make working with the material more challenging.

How might these tools improve engagement?

• Plickers is fantastic for classroom who do not have access to devices or the internet. Plickers requires QR codes, the instructor’s phone or device, and a specific code is assigned to each student. To complete a Plickers assessment or survey, the instructor creates multiple choice questions and then asks the class to submit answers by raising their QR codes with one side facing up. The instructor then scans the room using his or her device to collect the student responses, which are immediately submitted on the board. This formative assessment tool is excellent for student surveys and short formative assessments. While students are not able to provide free response answers, this tool takes the pressure of people who might not have devices on them or have phones with low battery. Equally the playing field, students can fully engage and participate in the learning, and they are experiencing a kinesthetic activity through manipulating their QR codes as they respond.
• Kahoot is a high school favorite AND a college favorite. The music is fun, the competition gets the room talking, and everyone learning from the results. Kahoot makes lectures more interactive and increases retention. I tend to play Kahoot on manual mode so that I can stop and discuss questions with students, especially if many of them get the answer incorrect. Even though I do not use this tool often, students enjoy the change of pace and are happy to participate in this gamified review.
• Quizlet has a similar effect to Kahoot, but I like to use it more at the beginning of the semester as Quizlet Live challenges students to form randomized groups and requires that they communicate with one another to answer questions. This tool fosters discussion and builds community. While not everyone is thrilled to get out of their seats at 9 PM, they do enjoy talking with one another, learning names, and participating in a unique formative assessment experience.
• Pear Deck is another tool that helps transform lectures into active discussions. Students at the college level expect sit-and-get classes where they can hide in the background and passively complete their coursework. Pear Deck changes the narrative of what to expect by asking students to log into a PD experience, share responses, take polls, draw, etc.! Pear Deck can also be placed on student-mode, which can then be completed outside of class. This tool has so many and empowers teachers to make significant changes to their lessons or add one quick question that can transform a whole lesson by getting students involved. The pre-made slides are great for instructors who are tech-hesitant, too. Slides are already designed and take seconds to insert. There is no need to reinvent any wheels or throw out already great lessons. Pear Deck allows instructors to adapt and enhance what they already have!

What other tools could be used outside of class to extend classroom learning?

• EdPuzzle, Padlet, FlipGrid, Insert Learning, and many more tools are also helpful and can be incorporated into lessons and resources through the learning management system. EdPuzzle is especially helpful for creating flipped lessons and resources for students to review essential content. I continue to build my EdPuzzle library as I progress through the semesters. Identifying areas of need has allowed me to anticipate when my students will need more direct instruction (especially with citing sources and research) and when an interactive video could help further their skills.
• Padlet can also be used to hold discussions, share resources, and get students involved in between classes, which in my case are always a week apart. InsertLearning is an excellent tool for readings and holding students accountable for completing their work. Padlet has a chat feature that can occur at a designated time (such as live in a classroom) or can be asynchronous. The shelf feature allows instructors to present questions and wait for student responses, and the traditional Padlet can be used to gather images, share videos, post hyperlinks, etc.
• FlipGrid is a tool I have only recently included in my college classroom. Because I only convene with students once a week, it can take time to build rapport and cultivate classroom relationships. FlipGrid allows me to foster recognition and community by posing questions and challenging students to respond. With students at any age, speaking in front of a class can be nerve-inducing, but being in the comfort of one’s home and providing a video response can encourage people to talk who might not have shared in person. If nothing else, they all jokingly ban against me for making them create videos of themselves. My response - in speech class you’ll be watching videos of your speeches, anyway! Now you’ve at least had a chance to practice looking good for the camera. :)
• Instead of passively reading, InsertLearning challenges students to be active participants as they respond and test their knowledge through multiple-choice, free response, and even discussion board questions. InsertLearning is a great tool to increase reading comprehension and check for understanding. This tool is one of my favorites that has not been as widely publicized as some of the other tools previously listed.

Technology will continue to advance, and our students will evolve. As such, being aware of the possibilities empowers instructors to make small and subtle changes to their courses and classrooms that increase student engagement, improve retention, and bring learning to life.

Hey, Google? What's new?

Something new seems to frequently appear in the world of educational technology, especially with Google Suites products. The conveniently placed "Send Feedback" button allows users to provide suggestions to Google that seem to be heard and applied frequently. These changes promote efficiency and encourage users to curate, collaborate, and create in innovative ways. For many teachers, Google evolves at an accessible pace, but with any change comes a learning curve, and some changes are more easily adopted than others. As I work on capturing what's new with Google into one HyperDoc, Pear Deck-powered presentation, I have been reflecting on what teachers might wish to know or may not have noticed about recent changes with Google. Effectiveness and ease of use matter to busy teachers, especially at the beginning of the school year. While I am still in the process of creating this presentation, I am excited to note Google updates that could support teachers by making grading faster, providing feedback increasingly meaningful, and collaborating more practical.

Here are a few tips and tricks that I have acquired in my recent searching:

Import Questions in Google Forms

Instead of having to remake a survey, delete questions, and then copy and paste questions from other subsequent copies of a previously used form, Forms now allows individuals to import previously created items. This process is as simple as selecting a button and then searching for the necessary form. Teachers who often use similar feedback survey forms or beginning of the year surveys can now create personalized forms using their best questions from previous forms.

This feature is also helpful when collaborating with colleagues. Sharing and collaborating on a Google Form can lead to unexpected problems such as accidentally changing questions or collecting unwanted data. Instead of sharing a form, I can simply import questions from a form that a colleague has created. I can then personalized questions and store my data in a Google Sheet that I own. While this addition seems minor, I have a feeling that it will be a popular new feature this fall.

Quiz Features in Google Forms

While this feature is not new, I am going to put greater emphasis on this feature this year. Last year, the Locked Mode for Google Forms Quizzes was glitchy. It was in beta, so naturally, a few kinks needed to be worked out by Google. Now, this feature is easy to turn on both in the settings in the form itself and in Google Classroom. This feature, along with shuffling questions, and choosing when to give feedback/graded quizzes to students, can help make formative assessments smoother in the classroom and can allow teachers to customize the quizzing experience. Reminding teachers that they have options and can find ways to save time may be beneficial, especially for those who have not explored those settings yet.

Comparison Feature in Google Docs

I love this feature for collaborating purposes. So often, teachers create common assessments or rubrics that are meant to be shared, however, every person's classroom functions differently, and students may have varying strengths or learning needs. As such, common assessments may be adjusted slightly to function more effectively for each classroom involved. The new comparison feature in Google Docs allows a person to compare two documents that might be copies or different versions of one another to note specific changes and comments made on the document. When looking to adjust an assignment from teacher to teacher or even from the same teacher from year to year can be helpful and informative. I have used this tool to compare syllabi from 2018 and 2019, and the noted changes allowed me to visualize how I was updated and revamping my units this year. I see many benefits when collaborating in professional learning groups and course teams. After working with this tool for a short time, I could see more uses being discovered.

Rubrics in Google Classroom

The rubric feature in Google Classroom is still in beta but seems to be working well. While I have not tested it out with students, I have played with building rubrics and attaching them to assessments. I love how simple this tool was to create and how helpful it can be for teachers looking to streamline the grading process by providing feedback to students faster and saving time in the process. One aspect of this feature that I wish was included would be to reuse a rubric, which I believe will be a feature that will be created soon. Although, if a teacher reused an assignment with the rubric already attached, the teacher could reuse the rubric. This hack may help some until this feature has been further developed by Google.

Google JamBoard

This tool is my literal JAM! JamBoard is an excellent mashup tool that combines features from Google Slides, Padlet, Pear Deck, and more. Students can create their JamBoard, they can collaborate on one JamBoard, and they can also complete a JamBoard template that teachers have created and assigned through Google Classroom. In an English class, this could be a great story-mapping tool or brainstorming exercise; in a social science course this could be a great mapping exercise or timeline creator; and in a STEM class, this tool could allow students to show their work while they solve equations. The possibilities for this flexible, shareable document are endless! Teachers who have used Google Drawing or Google Slides in creative ways may find this tool simpler for students to manipulate and complete desired tasks. I plan on finding creative ways to use this tool with students this fall. Also, this tool could be a great professional development and collaborative tool for teachers to use and share as well.

Google Docs Equations

My math and science friends have been incredibly patient with Google and found countless workarounds for their struggles with creating digital documents and assignments. They are among the most creative and tech-savvy people I know, but I am hoping that subtle updates to the Google Docs equations may make their Google-woes a little less heavy this year. Please, if you're a STEM person, share with me how these updates have helped or hindered your cause in the classroom!

While creating my PD HyperDoc, I know that I am leaving out a TON of valuable tips and tricks. New ones will inevitably be created by the time I deliver this presentation, too. My goals are not to provide all the answers, however. My goal instead is to guide people to resources and open up their minds to the possibilities of how they can use tools to enhance their students' experience in the classroom. Creating conversation leads to collaboration and creative expression! These qualities are valuable to the educational process. Happy Googling!

Planning and Determining What to Share (First Week PD)

“Google, what's new?” I type into a new search box, hoping to uncover new features, tips, and hacks that I can share with colleagues this fall on the second day of our welcome back institute at my school. While I have been watching the #notatISTE hashtag intently and scouring the @GoogleForEdu Twitter account feed, I know that inevitably new features will be released and updates made up until (and right after) the school year begins. Educational technology evolves at a rapid pace, often too quickly to stay up-to-date. Google does an incredible job of taking feedback and making meaningful changes that help teachers and students to work more efficiently, but coping with change is difficult for anyone. When a person opens a familiar platform to see drastic visual or functional changes, those changes can lead to frustration.

Anticipating the headaches or the frustrations of my colleagues is one of my jobs classified under "other duties as assigned." Supporting 131 people who have varying needs for educational resources and tools can be a challenge as I strive to value and honor each of them. Staying current with updates and educational tech news feels daunting, and discerning what teachers need to know or might find most useful is overwhelming at first. Aside from asking Google what's new, where do I begin?

Planning my first professional learning session of the year is proving to be a challenge as I have an abundance of information to share. Determining what's essential for my colleagues to know about at the start of the school year is critical. Appreciating and recognizing that teachers are concerned with being ready for the first week needs to be at the forefront of my mind while I prepare to deliver information. Understanding one's audience is one element of public speaking that I constantly emphasize to my college and high school students every semester almost every class period (in fact I did it yesterday). As such, the tips and tricks I select to share must be practical, useful, and straightforward.

Each person I encounter has a different level of proficiency and will utilize Google Suites products to varying degrees. Instead of trying to teach to the middle, which often satisfies only a few people, I hope to provide a differentiated experience for my colleagues. One tool or another will spark a practical idea that they can use during the first week back and will encourage them to return to the presentation to explore more of what is pertinent to them when they have the time to do so. My rough outline of the presentation involves both a live, teacher-led presentation that will highlight new features and a few quick tips that any teacher can implement in his or her classroom. While several teachers may be familiar with several of the tips, a refresher is always helpful after a long summer. My level 2 tips will be alluded to but brushed past to spark curiosity and interest in future PD sessions. Also, I want to evaluate what teachers want to know more about and what will be most useful to them. Level 2 tips will be available after the initial live session. Using Pear Deck student-pace feature, teachers will be able to asynchronously explore different hacks related to specific Google Suites products that apply specifically to their classrooms. Whether it be Google Forms, Sheets, or Docs, teachers will have options to ask questions, interact, and discover new strategies and resources that will positively impact the learning experience of their students.

While I have not completed the presentation, I have a solid outline and vision for what I hope the experience to be. To make the experience interactive and more engaging, I will be using Pear Deck to encourage teachers to have a voice, share ideas, and connect with their colleagues. The teacher-led pace will be used to keep us on track and give an overview of the resources and ideas available, but I will open the student-paced mode to model how Pear Deck can be used to differentiate and also allow them to have a personalized learning experience at a time that is convenient to them.

What do the students need?

When students (and teachers) drive their learning, they will feel more invested and ready to absorb and apply the content. In spite of a solid outline, I still feel a great deal of pressure. Again, technology is changing so rapidly - what if something new is released in August that changes the functionality of one of the products I'm sharing?

I return to the idea that ultimately, effective pedagogy is not about the tech; it's about creating a quality learning environment for students and leveraging resources to create opportunities for deep and authentic learning experiences. Considering the needs of the students and tailoring the experience to the audience is critical. For me, my students need something quick they can use immediately and inspiration to bank for the next few weeks of the school year. Students starting a new semester need to be aware of how to navigate the digital environment in which they are learning and also how to communicate with their teachers and peers while engaging with the content. 

How might we help our students reach specific goals? 

Every so often, I encounter a teacher who wants to learn what's new with ed-tech or ask me if there's something fun for students to try. Of course, there is always something new to learn or try. Tools are being created, disappearing, or charging more for the use of their products all the time. ISTE standards remind us that our jobs as teachers are to create authentic learning opportunities and cultivate a culture of collaboration. Google Suites tools are especially helpful when striving to achieve this goal, but the standards do not specify tools or the paths that students take to learn. As such, a teacher should not consider which tool to use before they consider the desired outcome of their students and the skills that are being built. Ultimately, there are countless ways for students to demonstrate mastery and several low-tech or high-tech ways in which they can do it. 

How can we innovate our classroom in a meaningful manner?

Using technology for the sake of innovation is not innovation. The SAMR model outlines the process in which teachers can design a lesson to go from simply substituting something that was once done on paper to making a learning activity that is truly a redefinition of the learning experience. Teachers will craft lessons that fall in various places within this model, which is absolutely okay. Again, the question to answer is what ultimately do we want students to learn. When a clear picture of that question is defined, each teacher can begin to consider the avenue students will take to arrive at the desired destination.

Why choose one path over the other? (Do we even need to choose one way?) 

The more I explore the possibilities within ed-tech, the more I believe in personalizing the path for students. Our society used to be driven by linear paths. To achieve the American dream, a person must complete high school, go to college, get a job, own a home, etc. The Millennial generation and Gen Z truly are redefining the picture-perfect life that generations of the past valued. Paths are no longer clearly defined. Going where the path may not is now even more important than before — as such, providing students with choice and the flexibility to move at their own pace through blended and more personalized learning environments are essential concepts that we should be striving to include in our classrooms.

Imagine the possibilities.

The possibilities are endless with how we foster critical skills in our students. With more knowledge at our fingertips than ever before and a rapidly evolving educational landscape, we should stop fearing change and start pushing our students to drive their learning. As I continue to build my first professional learning experience, I know that I want to find avenues to encourage my colleagues to explore new and innovative ways to use the ed-tech tools available to enhance their students experiences a little more personal and meaningful to them this year. On to step two - building the presentation! 

A More Personal Approach to Professional Learning

Lately, I have been on a quest to uncover best practices for instructional coaching and professional learning. Not teaching high school students as a change of pace in July has allowed me to focus on adult learning and reflect on what will best motivate my colleagues and peers. Recently, I just finished reading Personalized Professional Learning: A Job Embedded Pathway for Elevating Teacher Voice by Allison Rodman, which addresses how to involve teachers in professional learning experiences. This book was a fast and encouraging read that discusses the need to elevate teachers' voices and empower individuals to further explore their interests and areas of professional learning, which can lead to real change and growth. By reevaluating and redesigning adult learning experiences, administrators and teachers can build a culture that supports growth and innovation. Her tips were practical, clear, and easy to implement. This resource was incredibly helpful as I look craft my lesson plans and goals for the 2019-2020 school year.

As I embark on my second stint in this teacher-leader role, I refuse to allow my debut venture to be followed up by a sophomore slump. Although, as I do my research U2 and even Michael Jackson's second albums initially flopped, and the beat seemed to go on for them. Rejected records aside, I want to ensure that educational goals are being met on multiple levels and that our district initiatives are being modeled and effectively implemented both for and by teachers. According to the research, teachers thrive when they have opportunities to observe, experience, and practice the strategies being asked of them in the coming years for initiatives to succeed. Also, they need to feel supported in their experimenting and potential failing as they implement new concepts, techniques, and tools.

What's the best type of PD you've ever experienced?

This past year, I was fortunate to be sent to several conferences in search of the holy grail of techniques and tools to utilize while coaching other teachers. In my pursuits, I did discover common themes that I found engaging and some that I found less effective. The most memorable conferences or sessions I attended were lively, customized to the audience, and focused on relationships. Traditional sit-and-gets did not captivate me as much as the experiences that encouraged me to step (just a little) outside of my comfort zone and forge relationships with others. Strategies that work in the classroom and the latest best practices for students parallel powerful practices for adults. By the end of the school year, I realized that the answer to this seemingly paradoxical quest was apparent all along.

We learn through experiences - by experimenting and applying what we discover. As such, sitting-and-getting for teachers who have a to-do list longer than Michael Jackson's list of awards or Bono’s philanthropic accomplishments aren’t effective. So let's beat it with the traditional methods of professional development and make teachers’ learning experiences, oh-oh-oh, the sweetest thing. 

Reduce the number of sit-and-gets.
Sit-and-gets have their time and place. When an administrator has direct information to disseminate, of course, he or she will address the staff. Sometimes for the sake of efficiency, not every moment can be completely enthralling, but those moments can be brought to a minimum. Even on occasions when a more traditional professional development session is being held, like a lunch-and-learn or school improvement day session, the structure of the meeting does not need to be black and white. Teachers can drive their learning, choosing how they implement the strategy or tool being taught. They can share their ideas and be asked to present, create, and engage in multiple ways. Thanks to online tech tools that promote collaboration and sharing in a variety of ways, teachers can also get involved in these sessions, making it more of an experience than a lecture. Teachers' voices can be amplified not only through participation but also through feedback that can occur live and in person. When a person feels heard, the objectives of the experience can be achieved more readily, and teachers are more likely to leave the session feeling empowered rather than disengaged. 

Have a conversation or two-hundred.

When it comes to ways to connect with colleagues near and far, I subscribe to the "Don't stop 'til you get enough" philosophy. From talking face-to-face, texting, or tweeting - having conversations with colleagues has been by far the best and most meaningful form of professional learning that I have encountered. Whether it is Twitter lurking, which sounds sinister or simply hitting the share button on Google Drive, we all can benefit from having conversations about what is and isn't working in the classroom. While we might adapt a lesson to meet our teaching style or clientele, the notion of beg, borrow, and steal has gotten us all through a lesson or two. If we have the opportunity to engage with the originator or discuss a lesson we found with others, growth will occur. Sounding boards and personal stories have helped me to understand concepts or models of teaching that I may never have encountered before I inquired about it on Twitter or listened to a teacher talk about it in a meeting. Talking, and more importantly, sincerely listening to others helps us all to observe, understand, and apply. What's incredible about the casual conversation that can occur asynchronously, over coffee, or on the train is that these moments allow us to foster relationships and invest in others. Some of my casual Twitter conversations and coffee dates "to work" have lead to several meaningful professional and personal friendships.

Menus and playlists make learning more individualized and fun.
After attending an ASCD Empower19 workshop entitled "Learning Transformed: Eight Keys for Designing Tomorrow's Schools Today," I was challenged to consider not only what students need but also what teachers need to continue growing. Creating a culture that promotes innovation, embraces new technology and strategies, and supports teacher learning are all essential to the overall success of a school and a professional development program, but professional development is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Professional development and adult learning are personal, specific, and applicable immediately. In academic settings in which teachers are asked to complete more tasks than possible in a day, traditional learning is not always possible or practical.

Last year, I implemented an idea I had received from a colleague on making a Bingo Board of PD challenges. This board was full of teacher-choice opportunities to expand and challenge their teaching practices. This experience occurred over a longer period of time and did not involve a specific meeting time and place, thus teachers could control when and what they did to engage in a professional development experience. When we can move PD to asynchronous settings, teachers who coach, are parents, work additional jobs or people who are just great at work-life harmony can all sit at the table and be more involved and invested in the process.

Ultimately, professional learning is a lot like quality teaching. First, relationships need to be built before initiating further knowledge and exploration of new educational practices and technology. When teachers buy into the organization, the overarching goals, or even a learning target of a short PD session, they are bound to relate the content to their practices and their lives. When learning is personal, it is more meaningful. I cannot wait to dig into the 2019-2020 school year! Bring on the next adventure. My goal is to improve the quality of PD by creating experiences that are enjoyable, efficient, and effective. As the great Michael Jackson states, "If you want to make the [school] a better place, take a look at yourself and make that -- CHANGE!"

Fireworks and Ringing in the New [School] Year

Cue the fireworks and fanfare. July is here, which means that the midsummer hustle to finish overflowing bucket lists and lofty summer projects is upon us, and whether we are ready to face it or not, school is beginning to encroach on our summer fun. Back to school signs are lining local store aisles and advertisements for school supplies sales are littering mailboxes everywhere.

The buzz from ISTE first ignited my back-to-school prep toward the end of June. While I was #notatISTE this year, I carefully followed my personal learning network’s reactions to the full ISTE experience and individual sessions attended. The tweets that caught most of my attention included Google Suites' continual evolution and new strategies with familiar tools that can enhance the educational experience of students in any discipline. Countless links were shared, and there are still links and resources to explore from that conference.

As I take time to catch up on sleep from this past school year, I realize that 2018-19 was full of exciting challenges and lively days of running around the school, seeking ways to support colleagues and define the new role given to me. My goal for the upcoming academic year is to continue to build upon momentum previously created and hone my craft both as an instructor and as a teacher-leader. To achieve my goals, I will devote time this summer to the preparation process. Currently working toward creating a vision and developing clear objectives for the 2019-20 school year, I hope to make the forthcoming school year the best yet. While my progress seems to be more of a cyclical process rather than a linear path, I have taken the time to outline where I am at and where I hope the coming academic year will take me. Here's where I'm at:

Step one: Reflect.

Reflection is a constant and continual process. There's always an idea to revisit or reevaluate. Removed from the 2018-19 school year for a minute now has allowed me to reflect on my experiences, both a teacher and instructional coach, more objectively. In the classroom, I taught a new course that could benefit from a little modernization and stretched my creative juices as I explored art, architecture, literature, and music. Working on updating and personalizing each class I taught, including the new course, I revamped and revitalized assignments and asked students for their feedback along the way.

Additionally, I took some risks with video and podcast projects that seemed to challenge my students to rethink writing and communication. I made personalized and blended learning experiences a priority. I also made free reading and student choice a goal, too. While not every day was a momentous curricular experience, I honed my teaching craft as I unabashedly assumed a fail-big attitude. On the go big or go home scale, I'd sooner go big. Overall, the kids learned and grew as readers, writers, and speakers making it a successful year, but there's always room for improvement.

As a new instructional coach, I've had much to learn as I embarked on a "fake it until I make it" approach most of the school year. With only a short job description that included establishing relationships and completing other duties as assigned, I began to build resources to share with colleagues, created video tutorials to spark interest in educational technology, and visited as many classes as I could to observe what's working in classrooms in my school. My goal was to illustrate to my colleagues how much they shined and how talented they are. Teachers caught #FlipGridFever and used Pear Deck to enhance discussion experiences; they participated in PD challenges, and most surprisingly, watched my weekly videos. While the inaugural year in this role appeared to be a success, I still have high goals of furthering engagement with teachers, preparing the staff and students for the adaptation of a learning management system, and helping to implement educational strategies such as personalized and blended learning seamlessly and successfully.

This past year was personally a growing year as I took a break from coaching speech to enjoy my three young children and to focus on understanding my son's unique health needs. In some ways, I slowed down to establish better work-life harmony. Personal growth is equally as important, if not more important than professional growth as our well-being is such a critical part of being in relationship with others. Serving students' academic and emotional needs every day is draining, and the best teachers (or professionals in any field) know how to put on their metaphorical airbags first. I am still working on practicing self-care but strides were made.

Step two: Research.

After creating a thorough picture of where I stand professionally and personally through the reflection process, my time has been allocated toward tapping into my PLN and seeking new strategies to incorporate into next year's playlist.

Exciting updates are happening to Google Forms, the locked quiz feature may be working more effectively, and new design templates are giving Google Slides, Docs, and Sheets an updated look. Even Google Classroom will have more updates coming this fall that include new grade book and rubric creating features. These updates seem intriguing and can assist in improving course design for both teachers and students. All of these updates are outlined in the Google for Education Help Center or social media platforms (@GoogleForEdu on Twitter is my favorite follow for GSuites updates).

Reading an educational book or two is also a great way to gain some perspective. This summer, my professional texts of choice include: Writers Read Better: 50+ Paired Lessons that Turn Writing Craft Work into Powerful Genre Reading (Nonfiction) by M. Colleen Cruz and Talk to Me: Find the Right Words to Inspire, Encourage, and Get Things Done by Kim Bearden. I also have another book in my car stash on personalized learning but haven't cracked into it yet. Whether it is a book that a colleague has recommended or has come across the interwebs, reading academic-related books can spark motivation to incorporate a new idea in the classroom or if nothing else, affirm the great things that are already happening in the classroom.

If time is a constraint, setting aside five to ten minutes to browse a social media feed dedicated to education can be a way to glean a quick insight while on the go or waiting in line at a store. Scanning headlines is a great way to learn more about current educational research in short spurts. Twitter or Google can even lead to more extended rabbit hole reading expeditions. My favorite places to browse for a quick article to read is the Edutopia website, the ASCD website, and the MindShift blog.

Following a blog or podcast can also bring inspiration, especially for people who are traveling via car a great deal this summer. My favorite education podcasts are The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast by Jennifer Gonzales and the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast because they're short and full of quick, applicable nuggets of knowledge. Both teacher-casters are passionate, engaging, and also have great blogs. Another podcast I recently discovered is The Google Teacher Tribe Podcast. I only recently started listening to this podcast, but it is rich with additional information about GSuites. There are so many podcasts available, but finding a few to listen to while in the car has provided some fresh insights into the world of educational technology, teaching, and learning. Learning can happen anywhere; With podcasts, anyone can learn on the go.

Regardless of where one chooses to gain information or through what medium, fantastic educators are sharing their insights and are incredible resources to utilize.

Step three: Anticipate the need and cast a vision.

I am still actively working on this step in the process. I have started to create a calendar outline of the school year, reflecting on what I accomplished last year. Drafting a plan is time-consuming and cannot be completed in a single sitting. As soon as I have a coherent outline, I will share it with my building leadership to gain insights and anticipate the needs for the coming school year. Since my school is a Google for Education school, supporting my colleagues with updates and acclimating them to new aesthetics will consume a great deal of my attention at the beginning of the year. Also, reviewing and publicizing some of the great tools my school has subscriptions to including EdPuzzle, Pear Deck, and Padlet is crucial. Not only is my district investing in these tools, but they are also user-friendly ways to enhance the curricular experience for students. These tools can be used in countless ways, and unless they are publicized, teachers won't use them. Aside from the tools themselves, my school is moving toward blended and personalized learning, which means that teachers need to understand what educational philosophies look like in practice. A common language and expectations should be established, which is a goal my instructional coach colleagues from across the district that we will be working on towards the end of the summer. While I still work to do in this part of the process, the reflection and research completed in June have motivated me to dig in and plan for the upcoming fall semester.

Step four: Create conversations.

Collaboration with my colleagues and administration in my building are both places to start the conversation about what this coming school year will be. Preparing for a school year does not happen overnight; it is not a task to be crossed off on a to-do list. Getting ready for another year of learning is part of a much grander process that involves continual reflection, reevaluation, and conversations. Conversations are not just local endeavors either. One of the many reasons that I love Twitter is that it has allowed me to expand my conversations to a national platform in which I can share ideas and glean inspiration from so many experienced and talented teachers. My PLN is an ever-expanding group of teachers from my building, friends that I have met along the way, and people that I may never meet face-to-face am so grateful to have encountered in both small and significant ways. The more we discuss and share our ideas, the more we can learn from each other and move the educational world forward.

While I will undoubtedly treasure the last few weeks of summer, I am eager and hopeful for the fresh start that the beginning of an academic year promises. There is much to discover and significant growth to accomplish! Bring on 2019-2020.